Who Should Manage Your HOA Website?

Your HOA website is only as helpful as the information on it. Meeting notices, board contacts, governing documents, and forms need attention long after the original launch. The right person to maintain the website depends on your board's time, technical confidence, management arrangement, and need for continuity.

Start by separating approval from publication

Maintaining a community website actually involves two different jobs. Content ownership means deciding what is accurate, approved, and appropriate to share. Website maintenance means formatting that information, uploading files, checking links, resolving technical problems, and keeping the site running.

Those jobs do not have to belong to the same person. For example, the board can approve meeting minutes while a website provider publishes the approved PDF. Separating responsibilities reduces confusion and helps preserve the board's authority over association communications.

Option 1: A board member or volunteer maintains it

A self-managed website can work well for an HOA with a dependable volunteer who enjoys web tools and has time to maintain pages. It may reduce outside service fees, especially for a small community with infrequent changes. The person is also close to board decisions and may understand the neighborhood's priorities.

But relying on one volunteer creates continuity risk. Board terms end, personal schedules change, and access to the registrar, hosting account, or website editor can get lost. Without clear procedures, the next board inherits passwords rather than a maintainable system.

Best fit: associations with modest publishing needs, available technical skill, and a documented handoff plan—not associations where one person's departure would make the site impossible to update.

Option 2: The property management company handles updates

Some management companies include a website or resident portal among their services. That can be convenient when announcements, forms, and management contacts already flow through the same team. However, the scope varies considerably. One provider may maintain a full public website; another may offer only a resident login or basic notice board.

Ask whether public pages are included, who controls the domain, how documents are organized, what happens if the management contract ends, and whether updates cost extra. Also clarify which content the manager can publish without separate board approval.

Best fit: associations satisfied with the manager's online experience and comfortable with the website's long-term dependence on that arrangement.

Option 3: A dedicated website provider manages it

A managed website service handles the technical side of the public site, while the HOA provides approved information. Typical responsibilities can include design, hosting configuration, software upkeep, formatting documents, and publishing routine changes. The exact allowances and timelines should be agreed in the service plan.

This arrangement can be useful when board members want a professional public site but do not want to learn a content-management system. It can also create continuity from one board term to another. A dedicated website service is not a substitute for a property manager's accounting, collections, or other administrative responsibilities.

Best fit: communities that value consistent presentation and support, want to retain control of their information, and prefer to delegate website work rather than perform it.

Compare the three approaches

No model is automatically right for every HOA. Compare specific proposals, not just provider labels.

Establish one simple publication workflow

Regardless of who makes website edits, agree on the steps before the next urgent announcement arrives. A useful workflow looks like this:

1. Request: an authorized board contact submits the notice, PDF, correction, or updated information.
2. Approve: the association confirms the content is accurate, approved for publication, and safe to share publicly.
3. Publish: the responsible person updates the website and confirms the correct version is visible.
4. Verify: a board contact checks the link, filename, date, and appearance on a phone.
5. Archive: outdated content is removed or archived according to association policy.

For official notices or records disclosures, verify the association's legal and governing-document obligations separately. A web post does not necessarily replace required delivery methods.

Protect access across board transitions

Even when website maintenance is outsourced, the association should know where its domain is registered, which email address controls the registration, and who can authorize changes. Keep current board contacts and a secure access-handoff procedure documented. Avoid tying essential accounts solely to a volunteer's personal email.

• Document the HOA's domain registration and renewal process.
• Define who can request and approve website changes.
• Keep a list of connected services and responsible vendors.
• Agree on expected update turnaround and emergency contacts.
• Confirm who keeps backups, what can be exported, and what happens when the service ends.
• Review permissions promptly when board roles change.

How managed updates work with HOASitePro

HOASitePro is built around a fully managed website model. Your board provides its approved content and instructions; our team handles website production and the included ongoing changes. The Essential, Community, and Premium plans have different monthly standard-request allowances. Larger work can be quoted separately.

For boards comparing different maintenance approaches, the useful question is not “Who can click Publish?” It is “Who will reliably keep this site current for the next several years?” If you're exploring an outside service, see our provider selection checklist.